M-1 on Fedor's Return: Ball in Strikeforce’s Court

M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchstein told Sherdog.com on
Tuesday that it was Strikeforce who was delaying a renegotiation
process between the two promotions that would greenlight the return
of the world’s No. 1 heavyweight, Fedor
Emelianenko, to the Strikeforce cage.

Sherdog.com had reported March 9 that both promotions were nearing
the closure of a revised co-promotional agreement to hold
additional events together in the U.S., following their inaugural
Nov. 7 venture Strikeforce M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Rogers,” which
aired live on CBS to four million viewers.

M-1 Global, a promotional and management company based out of
Holland and Russia, approached Strikeforce in late December or
early January to revise the three-event contract they’d signed with
the American promotion last August. Part of that deal included the
participation of the nearly unblemished Emelianenko, who has been
coveted and courted by every major fight promotion, including the
UFC.

However, as of late April, the two parties have appeared to have
come to an impasse. M-1’s reps insisted Tuesday that any burden in
the stalled deal didn’t lie with them.

“In the renegotiations, we’re not asking for anything new at all
that wasn’t already there in our original agreement,” said
Finkelchstein through the translation of Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s
director of operations. “We’re not looking for anything additional
to that.

“There are certain clauses in that agreement which haven’t been
lived up to,” continued Finkelchstein. “In one of these clauses was
co-promotion, and given that M-1 spent a significantly larger
amount of money on the first show than did Strikeforce, we would
like to see something along the lines of a number of M-1 fighters
fighting on the M-1 Strikeforce show, the main show, the undercard,
etc.”

Finkelchstein said M-1 fighter participation was one of the terms
in the original agreement that wasn’t fulfilled. Finkelchstein also
shot down Internet rumors that M-1’s newest demands were monetary
in nature.

“It’s been written on the Internet that M-1 is trying to
re-negotiate for more money,” said Finkelchstein. “This is not the
case. … We’re asking for changes to language in the contract in a
way, which makes it necessary to adhere to the original
agreement.”

In March, M-1 Global laid blame for their dissatisfaction with the
Nov. 7 event mostly with the media, and not their U.S. partners.
When asked Tuesday if M-1 Global now believed Strikeforce to be in
breach of the co-promotional contract, Finkelchstein again pointed
to the lengthy renegotiation period.

“Again, it is not us who is stretching this process out. It’s the
other side…,” said Finkelchstein. “No, we don’t, at this point,
consider Strikeforce to be in breach of the terms. … Certain things
were not done that could have been done. A lot of excuses were made
as to why they weren’t done.”

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker declined to comment specifically on
M-1’s remarks, and said that negotiations are ongoing. Coker said
that it is Strikeforce’s policy to not negotiate in the media.

“We look forward to the fight on June 26 with Fedor along with our
joint-venture partners, M-1, pursuant to our agreement with them,”
Coker told Sherdog.com through a representative.

Emelianenko, who knocked out Brett
Rogers in the second round at Strikeforce M-1 Global’s “Fedor
vs. Rogers” on Nov. 7 outside Chicago, was first said to be making
his promotional return against former UFC contender Fabricio
Werdum on April 17 in Nashville, Tenn. But when a new agreement
was not reached, Strikeforce’s Coker voiced his intentions to
reschedule the bout on a yet-to-be-announced card on June 26 at the
HP Pavilion on San Jose, Calif.

“From our point of view, we’re waiting for the decision of,
primarily, Scott (Coker) and Strikeforce, but also that of
Showtime, and basically delivering in the relationship, going
forward, that which was promised to us in the first place,” said
Finkelchstein.

Asked to clarify Showtime’s involvement, if any, in the
renegotiations, Finkelchstein would only say that the cable
network, which regularly airs Strikeforce events, had “an interest”
in the talks between the two promotions, and that specifics of the
contract could not be discussed due to the nature of the
agreement.

Finkelchstein stated that the 33-year-old Emelianenko would have
been able to participate in Strikeforce “Nashville” last Saturday,
and said the June 26 date was possible for the revered
heavyweight.

“Basically, everything’s possible. This (decision) doesn’t depend
on us at all,” said Finkelchstein. “The ball is in their court.
Fedor is in good shape. He’s constantly training to keep his form
up. He needs around a month and a half warning before a potential
fight and he’ll be able to fight. So the 26th of June is not a
problem.”

Finkelchstein said that, at this point, there was no deadline
Strikeforce would need to make to ensure Emelianenko is prepared
for the June 26 show.

“Peak-level training begins about five to six weeks out,” said
Finkelchstein, “but that depends on how (Emelianenko) has been
training (beforehand).”

Finkelchstein said Emelianenko was anxious to fight again soon.

“Fedor is frustrated. He’s upset that he hasn’t been given the
ability to fight,” said Finkelchstein. “Again, the (delay) to make
the fight happen, hasn’t been on us. It’s been on the other side.
Because of their refusal to agree on giving us what was promised in
the (contract) signed, the fight hasn’t happened.”

Finkelchstein also addressed persistent rumblings that M-1
officials have been secretly meeting and negotiating with the UFC
for the last two months behind closed doors.

“Neither myself nor the M-1 company is in negotiations whatsoever
with the UFC,” said Finkelchstein. “There’s nothing going on
between us and the UFC, except that (UFC President) Dana (White’s)
obvious interest in Fedor from all of the interviews which he’s
done, is making rather a splash. Of course, we hear about it in
Russia all of the time.”

Finkelchstein reiterated their goal to come to a swift resolution
with Strikeforce.

“We are continuing negotiations in good faith with Strikeforce,”
said Finkelchstein. “We’re not asking for anything other than what
we were promised initially. … What we want is simply a 50-50
(relationship). We don’t want a repeat of the November 7 show,
which for all intents and purposes looked like a Strikeforce show.
We want to be 50-50 partners. We want this to be a proper fully
fledged co-promotion.”